If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Mattel is aiming to do an on-camera feature with Mattel Design to clarify your top three questions about Castle Grayskull. It doesn't mean they only care about three things. Instead, this is them wanting to address the biggest questions right away.

This Q&A is with Mattel Design, not the Four Horsemen.

So here's how we're going to do it. Post once and ask three questions for Mattel Design about Grayskull. It doesn't matter if someone has already posted the same question(s). This is about your top three questions.

Also, remember this is for Design. Price questions, preorder inquiries, shipping costs, etc, do not apply. This is about design related matters.

This coming Monday morning (around 9am EST) I'll close this thread, then go through and pick the three questions that the most people have asked.

Any posts with discussion or more than three questions will be deleted. Same goes for any hateful, insulting or sarcastic questions. Let's keep this constructive. Also, please post your own questions. You cannot post again on someone's behalf.

With all that in mind, please post your top three questions for Mattel Design about Castle Grayskull. Thanks!

1) Given the actual size of the castle, the negative reaction by fans to it's positioning, and the fact that we've already been told other items may be removed from the final product, has Design considered removing the Wind Raider base? It is an unpopular and unnecessary addition to the Classics Castle that would be better served as part of an add-on pack that fans could choose to use with their castle or not.

2) While I appreciate the 4 Horsemen and Matty trying to include as much 'stuff' in the final product as possible, I feel that priority should be given to the items that were included with the original Castle before adding other pieces (like the prison walls, or the redundant Orb Holder. Can you please find some way to make the dungeon cage a part of the castle release?

3) The biggest issue fans seem to have is the clearance on the Jaw Bridge. Has Design considered retooling the hinge on the bridge so that it is part of the base, lowering the bridge to rest on the ground (rather than sitting half an inch above the ground) and giving that extra headroom for any MOTUC character to easily pass thru the doorway?

1. When it was determined the castle needed to be scaled down why wasn't the base size reduced to allow more space in the castle and doorway?
2. Will the inside walls be sculpted?
3. Will the throne have a gap in it to allow the Sorceress to sit on it?

1: Can the drawbridge be "thinned" down so He-Man can fit more easily inside the entrance?
2: Will there be slots in the back of the throne so the Sorceress can sit on it?
3: Will the playmat(painted area that surrounds the castle) be included in the final product?

1 Are there plans to upsize in any way?
2 Could there be things taken away to authenticate it to the old days just made new.
3 Any chance for a secret of Castle Grayskull updated book to come along with?

I love the sculpt but there are many things that could be done to improve it all around and I love the idea of losing the raider base for something more interesting.

1. Why won't you fix the door height? Seems easy to do, just lower it to ground level rather than having the base there.
2. Why not cut the Windraider stand? Virtually nobody wants it.
3. Why did you say the 4H only made the floor dungeon for fun, when clearly this was part of the original plan?

1.Will the "Final" Version of the castle have sculpted interior walls like the exterior?As the flat walls simply look out of place alongside the 3D sculpted wall sections; for example/such as the orb holder area; on the interior of the playset!

2.Would it be possible to extended the floors further to go right up against the opposite shell interior wall more to have more space for figure to stand when its opened up? - As right now the floors are way too small, and there is hardly enough room for 2 figures to be placed inside after all the deco items!

3.Will the Wind Raider Landing platform be sculpted to look like wood like the floors? - This would allow those of us who don't want to place the wind raider there to use this as an inside floor display area, and possibly display our weapons wrack and some figures on.

1. Why won't you fix the door height? Seems easy to do, just lower it to ground level rather than having the base there.
2. Why not cut the Windraider stand? Virtually nobody wants it.
3. Why did you say the 4H only made the floor dungeon for fun, when clearly this was part of the original plan?

First of all i want to thank Mattel to consider what their fans need.
And imo that s really important for the success of the toyline that the most important number of fans are happy with the CG.*
That s the most important item in that toyline and that will attract more fans and let the toyline going on and i hope until ALL vintage, pop, na, 200x and filmation chatacters are produced.
With also a lot of creatures, vehicules and another playsets like SNAKE MOUNTAIN.

1. Is it possible to increase the general
SIZE of the castle grayskull to fix the ENTRANCE problem ( he-man's head is touching the teeth of the jawbridge and teela couldnt stand up at the doorstep) and the PRISON issue ( we only can see the chest of a character inside ) ?
The best would be to see he-man riding battlecat entering in the CG.

2. Will we see ALL the promised stuff inside the castle and more details sculpted on the wall inside ?

3. Will we see the dungeon pit and the characters who will fall from the trap door to the dungeon ?

1) Can you please make the jaw bridge taller (and lower it into the base) so that figures don't hit their head when coming through? The castle entrance definitely needs more headroom.

2) Can you drop the Wind Raider base for inside the castle (as well as possibly the bat pack) and use that money towards something fans really want like the dungeon monster gate? Who really wants to park their Wind Raider inside the castle?

3) Can you fix the throne so that the Sorceress can sit without breaking her wings off?

1. Will you reduce the thickness of the base by simultaneously adding the same amount of size to the height of the walls to address the fan's biggest concern, namely the too small size of the Castle which results in too little head clearance for the figures?

2. Can you please retool the hinge on the bridge so that it is part of the base, lowering the bridge to rest on the ground (rather than sitting half an inch above the ground) and giving that extra headroom for any MOTUC character to easily pass thru the doorway?

3. Can you please add the dungeon pit and do away with some of the super useless stuff like the Wind Raider stand and the jet pack?

edit: for question no. 2 I used almost the exact wording of straight edge's post (post #5). Straight Edge, I hope that's OK with you. I thought the way you described it was perfect so I took the liberty of quoting you.

1. Being that this is the first playset you have made for the line, have you done sufficient testing to ensure that paint will properly adhere to this particular plastic without scraping or just falling off? We have seen issues with new materials and new uses of old materials, ie Snout Spout, Roboto's torso, the black plastic, the Wind Raider coming off on loin cloths and legs, etc.

2. Are all the pieces sturdy, especially the jawbridge hinge, the hinge that allows it to open and close, the elevator, throne, etc.?

3. What sacrifices are appearing likely in materials or production in order to produce this castle at the price point promised?

1) Will you "scoop" out the base of CG where the drawbridge is in order to make the drawbridge longer; so, there is a lot of head clearance for figures going through the entrance?

2) Will you make it so the Sorceress can sit on the throne or can we get a separate diorama pice down the road of a Filmation Sorceress throne that will be designed so she can sit on it?

3) It seems like the Castle has been designed for a line of smaller figures in mind. Are you planning on using this playset for any redesigned (possibly smaller) future MOTU toys that may come out in a movie year?

1. Can you make the ledge wider so a figure can stand on it without the aid of sticky-tack?
2. (as many people have asked) can you lower the jaw bridge into the base of the castle and make the door longer to give more head room.
3. It looks like the reason the base floor cannot sit flush with the floor is because of the Wind Raider stand. As this has been a unpopular addition and place for the stand can you remove that piece and lower the ground level to be flush with the floor. That way you can more easily lower the Jaw Bridge to be flush with floor leaving more head room and cut out an item that would need to be tooled.